Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-11-03

! Il MS Is awful, she said to herself as
she heard stepsaPproaching the door on
the inside. civil looking woman
opened it.
"Are-are the gentlemen at home ?"
/ the visitor asked. II means Mr.
Townsend at home? am his sister. ana
1 he expects me think"
"Oh, walk in ma'am, If you please. Mr..
/ Townsend told me you were not coming
till tomorrow. He is out just now, but
| your room is quite ready. Have YOU no
! luggage, ma'amG'
/ The visitor muttered something about
the station as she went int the hall.
please show me to the sittiL g room,n
she said; can wait for my brother there.
No, thank you; no tea. Is this the
roOm?n
Eyes, ma'am. The gentlemen has this
between them. Mr.. Hamilton is coming
back unexpected this evening. He was
| photographed for, as there is some talk of
the regiment leaving at once"
what Is this noise?" the visitor asked.
"Rain, ma'am. It's thunder shower, l
think. 1t always makes that noise on the
| roof of the veranda. It's we'll you was
under cover ma'am."
Rosalind gave a sigh of relief as the
door at last closed behind the landlady.
Nov, if by stroke of good fortune l
can commit my felony and get away be-
fore my brother comes in-what an ex-
traordinary thing that he should be ex
pecting his sister. l suppose (glancing
at a cabinet photograph on the chimney.
plece) that is the man himself. Why, he
must be forty at least! Nov, | wonder
Ixrha T. = 1.
a drawer, of course but which drawer?
| do not half like rumaging among the
poor mans possessions, but he brought
it on himself
She presently came upon packet neat
ly tied up with red ribbon and sealed.
She pinched it. 1t evidently contained
photograph, for she felt cardboard, and
there was something soft that might be
glove; and surely these were withered
flowers that cracked as she pressed them!
And the more lumpy enclosure must be
Letters. Should she unite the ribbon and
break the sealS But time was passing
and there was really no necessity. Then
she turned the packet over and found an
inscription. In mans writing were the
words: LIS likeness and letters. Very
precious"
Poor Geoff! Poor, dear fellow! How
devotedly he loves hel ] am sorry for
him. Very precious he calls them"
RosaIind murmured. "Rut precious or
not, must rob him of them. We cannot
lose Tom. l wonder what Lefty will say
when she sees themH Now, wish | were
safely out of this. | must write the tint
est scrap of note and leave it for poor,
dear Croft" She closed the drawer, put
tho packet in her pocket and wrote hastl-
ly on half sheet of paper: LIS sister
has taken what you have no right to keep
against her will"
She hao just addressed the envelope
when she heard steps on the stairs; in an
other moment the door was opened and a
handsome young man came in.
"How awkward" thought Rosalind
"But l must keep up the character of
TowRsend's sister. Who in the world is
he?n
The new conner stood still aid stared at
her. she was the prettiest girl he had
seen for many day. She made him a
little bow. 81 am Townsend's sister"
she said, "and L expect him every moment;
he noes not expect me until to- morrow.
Did not the landlady tell you | was
hereY"
"she-she- she-did!" the young man
gasped.
''What donkey he is!" thought merci
less Rosalind, quite at her ease, although
she had just been robbing drawer. II
wonder If you would mind going to look
for my brother?n che paid aloud in the
sweetest manner. ut would be so worry
kind. 1t is awkwerd to be here all alone
with-people coming i'm She gave him
a little smile to indicate that he was one
of the people. 81 have to go TO the sta
ton for my luggage" what dreadful
stories | am telling! she added to her
self; then aloud, land perhaps by the
time | come back he will be here"
"Oh, you will come back, will you? But
it's raining cats and dogs! You'll be
drenchedH
ooh, dear, no! have waterproof"
and Rosalsnd took up her cloak, Thank
YOU" az the young man rushed forward
and put it round her shoulders. "And
yoa will go and fnd-Geoff for me"
she said, turning to him with the sweet
est smile. There was the slightest posi-
BILE hesitation before she said the name
He noticed nothing but the beauty of her
eyes. "Ihank you very much"
She was gone before he recovered him
self, and when Geoff Hamilton came into
the sitting room at No. Is few minutes
later he found his friend Townsend
hanging out of window.
"Hallo, Gee" he said, what's up? You
look dazed. Seen ghostl"
mo, but the prettiest girl in the wo;ld.
She was here. She said she was my sis
ter. She asked me to go and look for
myself, while she went to the station for
her luggage"
"Then she'll be backf"
mot she; she turned the other way"
"Then who in the world is she, and
what brought her hereg"
Il suspect you know all about that, you
rascal. She's one of your army OF mar
tyrs, take it,
Rubbish. am the martyr. What's
this?n He had picked up Rosalind's
note from the writing table. sc. Hamil-
ron, Esq Now for the heart of the mys-
terry" He opened the note and read it.
Then he threw himself into a chair with
very red face. Then he laughed Then /
am afraid he sUure